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Joan Larsen Quotes

Powerful Joan Larsen for Daily Growth

About Joan Larsen

Joan Larsen, an accomplished American writer and legal scholar, was born on July 18, 1957, in St. Louis, Missouri. After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of Michigan, she went on to earn her law degree from Yale Law School in 1982. Her legal career began when she clerked for Justice William Rehnquist on the Supreme Court of the United States before serving as a lawyer and later a senior legal adviser in the Department of Justice under President Ronald Reagan. In 1986, Larsen returned to academia, joining the University of Michigan Law School faculty. Here, she quickly made a name for herself as an expert in constitutional law. In 1990, she was appointed by President George H.W. Bush to serve as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Despite her successful legal career, Larsen's passion for writing remained strong. Larsen's first book, "Constitutional Law: Principles and Problems," co-authored with Robert H. Bork and Philip Bobbitt, was published in 1983. This textbook is still widely used today. Her second book, "Forgive Us Our Debts: A Vision of America's Moral Future," published in 2004, explores the role of morality in a democratic society and the implications of moral decay on the political process. In 2005, Larsen left the bench to join the University of Michigan Law School full-time as a professor. She continues to teach, write, and speak on constitutional law and related topics. Throughout her career, Joan Larsen has demonstrated a remarkable ability to bridge the gap between academia and public service, making significant contributions in both arenas.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"The Constitution is a charter of negative liberties — it tells the government what it can't do to you."

The quote suggests that the U.S. Constitution primarily outlines limitations on the government's power, not specifying positive rights or entitlements for citizens. Essentially, the government is restricted from interfering with an individual's fundamental freedoms, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms. It emphasizes that the role of the Constitution is to protect individuals from excessive government control rather than promising specific services or rights.

"When we think of our government as a means for achieving our individual goals and objectives, rather than an end in itself, we are more likely to resist its encroachments on our liberty."

This quote suggests that when people view their government primarily as a tool to help them achieve personal aims or objectives, they may become more vigilant against any potential infringements on their freedom. The idea is that if one sees the government as an essential entity with its own purpose (beyond just serving individual interests), it might be easier for it to overstep boundaries and restrict individual liberties. By emphasizing the importance of the government in terms of personal goals, this quote encourages citizens to maintain a healthy balance between their own aspirations and the role of government in their lives, thereby safeguarding their liberty.

"The true genius of the Constitution is that it recognizes that the individual, not the state, is the source of rights."

This quote highlights the fundamental belief in individual liberties and self-governance as embodied by the U.S. Constitution. It suggests that individuals possess inherent rights that are not granted or bestowed by the government; rather, these rights preexist and serve as a foundation for the establishment of governmental authority. In essence, it emphasizes the principle that individual autonomy is the primary source of rights, and the role of government is to protect and uphold these rights.

"Our rights come from nature and God, not from the government."

This quote suggests a belief in natural or divinely granted individual rights that are inherent to all people, rather than rights being created or conferred by human governments. It emphasizes the idea that these rights pre-exist any formal political structure, and are not dependent on government for their existence or legitimacy.

"The framers of the Constitution recognized that the powers they granted to the federal government were limited and that the States retained significant power."

This quote emphasizes the foundational principle of the U.S. Constitution, which is the separation of powers between the federal government and the states. The framers intended to limit the authority of the federal government and reserve substantial autonomy for individual states. This principle has been instrumental in maintaining a balanced federation and promoting checks and balances among various levels of governance.

Denying the president a constitutional voice is the real threat to our system of separated powers.

- Joan Larsen

Voice, System, Denying, Separated

When I first met Antonin Scalia, I was a small child with one brown ponytail atop my head. Which is odd, because I was a full-grown woman, and my hair was short and blond. Still, sitting on the black leather sofa in his chambers, I remember shrinking.

- Joan Larsen

Woman, Small, I Remember, Odd

The citizens of Michigan elect the justices to resolve the complex disputes that reach the Supreme Court, and we must not shrink from that duty.

- Joan Larsen

Michigan, Resolve, Shrink, Justices

We have differing views on law, politics and religion. But I have yet to meet a Scalia clerk who was not grateful to the man who taught us, shaped us, and launched us into our lives in the law. Justice Scalia's passing leaves a giant void in the court and in the intellectual discourse over the law.

- Joan Larsen

Politics, Shaped, Our, Clerk

Judges should interpret the laws according to what they say, not according to what the judges wish they would say. Judges are supposed to interpret the laws; they are not supposed to make them.

- Joan Larsen

Say, Laws, According, Interpret

I believe in enforcing the laws as written by the Legislature, as signed by the governor.

- Joan Larsen

Laws, Enforcing, Signed, Legislature

I am often asked what it was like to be a woman clerking for Justice Scalia. 'Much like being a man clerking for him' is my easy answer. Justice Scalia believed in one simple principle: That law came to the court as an 'is,' not an 'ought.'

- Joan Larsen

Simple, Woman, Principle, Ought

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